1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique to record information into additional information added to an image such as a photograph, and particularly to a technique to record information (hereinafter referred to as a “subject ID”) to identify a subject into additional information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, we are flooded with images such as photographs. One of its factors is the rapid popularization of digital cameras (including so-called camera-equipped cellular phones).
In a film-based camera, since an image is recorded on a film using silver halide as a photosensitizer, the image once photographed can not be deleted later. On the other hand, in a digital camera, since an image is recorded as digital data, even if there is a possibility of failure in photographing, the photographing is performed for the time being, and in the case of failure, the image can be deleted later. Besides, with respect to an image on which a judgment of whether it should be stored permanently can be made, the image is saved in a PC (Personal Computer) or the like for the time being, and a judgment of whether it should be deleted or stored is often made later. As stated above, our consciousness becomes greatly different from a case of using a film-based camera, and as a result, there occur such circumstances that many images are scattered in a digital camera, a storage medium, or a hard disk of a PC. Since the images become scattered as stated above, an improvement in handling efficiency of the images has been desired.
For example, in a wedding reception, a handshake meeting of an artist, an athletic meeting of children or the like, photographing service by an exclusive cameraman has been widely performed. With respect to images photographed in such photographing service, in order to eliminate the trouble of mailing them at a later date, it is desirable that they are immediately classified and distributed after the end of the event. However, an operation of such classification and distribution is very difficult. Accordingly, it is requested to improve the handling efficiency of images so that such classification and distribution can be easily performed.
In response to such a request, it is known to provide a system in which a seat code of a seat in a reception is made to correspond to image data of an attendant seated on the seat and they are stored.
However, in the described above system, since the seat code is acquired from an Ir light-emitting device provided on a table, there are problems that it can be applied only to photographing of persons seated on the seats, and an operation of setting up the Ir light-emitting device on the seat is also troublesome.
Furthermore, although it is possible to prevent forgetting to photograph attendants by comparison with the predetermined number of photographs of each table, photographing can not be performed while the number of photographs of all subjects are made equal by displaying the number of photographs of each subject.